Green smoke rises from the clay pot where salt is boiled, straight into the distant sky. Wherever the long wind passes, the Texcoco Lake raises waves, like a changing inner lake. The tide rises in an instant, and the tide falls in an instant,
What remains unchanged is the treasure at the bottom of the lake.
Shulot broke away from Talea's arms and stood up slowly. A few moments ago, a strong impulse made him stand up and face the awe-inspiring Avitt, saving the Gunpowder Manager. But at this time, after the conflict, when he
Recalling the promise made by Starry Night and reflecting on the interference of desire, my heart became clear through the baptism of worldly affairs.
He blocked the potter girl who wanted to lean on with his hand and shook his head slightly.
"Talaiya, you are very talented and have done a good job in gunpowder research."
After saying that, Shulot took a deep look at Thalaya who was standing still, then turned around and left alone, with a decisive step.
Bertard sighed. The warrior commander knew the boy well and knew that he had already made a decision, so he could only shake his head and follow closely.
The sun sets suddenly, and the capital city in the lake alternates between light and dark. An unchanging bonfire burns in the high priest's house, which is the eternal light in the young man's eyes.
"Xulot, my child is just an ordinary woman. No matter how beautiful she is, she will be given up as soon as she is given up. Why should she face the king?"
The high priest frowned slightly and looked at the grandson who had devoted his heart and soul, and his words contained admonishment.
Shulot shook his head calmly.
"She is my valued subordinate and an important research craftsman. I can't let her be taken away. I manage the Divine Inspiration Institute, Skyfire Island and the new military camp. My subordinates are followers, priests, craftsmen and new troops.
..Grandpa, I am no longer a child who relies on others..."
"Now, I am a leader, the backbone of tens of thousands of people, and I have thousands of followers who are willing to die. These people rely on me, so I must protect them. Even Avitt cannot handle my important affairs at will.
, to separate groups. You once told me that the eagle must dominate the sky, the jaguar must dominate the earth, and the king must dominate all peoples.”
Hearing this, the high priest laughed. He patted Shulot on the shoulder and stopped touching the boy's head.
"When my little eagle grows up, it will lead the mountains and forests and soar across the world."
Afterwards, the high priest watched the most outstanding descendants and taught them carefully.
"My child, continue to hone your ambition. In the core of power, the strong always cooperate and confront, confront and compromise. The alliance only recognizes the strong, and the rules are only used to restrain civilians. You must be strong enough
, to inherit everything I have now, to move towards a higher peak.
Remember, in the jungles of Mexica, supreme power does not fall naturally, it is always accompanied by fierce competition. As the old proverb goes, only what can be taken by force will be taken peacefully.
Of course, you need to focus on strategy..."
The night went deep and the bonfire gradually extinguished. Shulot lay on the bed, holding the little green snake in his arms, feeling the softness and coldness, thinking about obedience and wildness, and fell asleep like this.
The next day, Shulot got up early for training as always. After breakfast, he carried the wooden box and headed to Montezuma Palace.
The advance army of the North Road is about to go out, and various troops have begun to be mobilized. Yesterday, my grandfather agreed to a thousand temple guards, giving priority to getting familiar with bows and crossbows, and sending a group of priests to accompany the army. Now, he wants to request direct samurai from the king.
When he saw Avitt again, the king's face was calm and majestic, and a book of "Noble Law" was open in his hand.
"Xulot, go and talk to Alyssa first. She has been talking about you for a long time."
Xiuluo nodded and went to the backyard garden.
Alyssa was still dressed in white. When she saw the boy, she approached him happily and gave him a gentle hug.
Shulot was silent for a moment, then opened the wooden box behind him. He took out the sleeping sculpture and put it into Alyssa's arms.
"I will go on an expedition soon. Little Avelot can accompany you."
Alyssa held the little golden eagle and gently stroked its soft little head.
The cute eagle opened its eyes, glanced at the girl in white, and asked "chirp?" in confusion. Then, it recognized the good guy, let out a short and joyful "Yo yo! yo yo!", and shook its neck again.
Shulot sat silently and did not speak.
Alyssa blinked her shining eyes and said.
"Xulot, my herbal medicine learning is progressing very quickly. Thank you for giving me the inheritance of the chief priest. Soon, I will be able to prepare a drink that will make you happy."
Xiuluo nodded and listened quietly.
"Both you and your father have been feeling a little down these past two days!"
Shulot raised his head, looked at the girl's innocent expression, and then lowered his head without saying a word.
"I can feel your mood. My father is depressed and angry. Yesterday, he beat a close guard and then kicked Uncle Gillim out of the palace. He was not allowed to come here for several days."
Shulot raised his head again, a little surprised. Why did Avitt punish Gillim?
"Gillim? Why?"
"Well, it seems that Uncle Gilliam made a serious mistake, and my father was offended, so he was very angry."
"That's right...then, what kind of person is Gillim in Alyssa's eyes?"
"Uncle Gillim always has a serious face. He never cares about himself, but cares about everyone, no matter how small it is. He especially cares about his younger brother. Last month, when his younger brother fell ill, he went to the southern city-state and brought back several famous witches.
Doctor, I have lost a lot of weight. Fortunately, my brother will recover soon."
Shulot thought for a moment, and his expression became solemn. Alyssa suddenly held the boy's hand.
"Xulot, well, I want to tell you that my uncle is nice to everyone here, but he is only hostile to you. You need to be careful."
Shulot looked at the girl's concerned eyes and was moved in his heart, silently lowering his head.
"I can feel your mood. Shulot, you are depressed and a little guilty, and you have been unwilling to look into my eyes. Why?"
Shulot was speechless. He sat next to Alyssa, watching the little golden eagle flapping and taking off slightly, smelling the fragrance of flowers on the girl's body, which made his heart pure. After a while, he said softly.
"Alyssa, I'm fine. I'm leaving."
Alyssa tilted her head and looked at Xilot for a while, then took out an awkward-looking cotton sachet and placed it in the boy's hand.
"Xulot, this is the sachet I sewed. It contains delicious vanilla pods and refreshing horsemint. Well, you can use it when you go on an expedition."
Shulot took the sachet, looked at the crooked stitching on it, then held the girl's hand and looked at the fingers. He stood in silence for a moment, gave Alyssa a hug, then turned and left quickly.
Seeing this, Avitt walked down from the window on the second floor. He sat cross-legged in the hall, picked up the newly printed paper book again, and looked calm.
When Shulot walked into the hall, he did not see the intelligence officer. At the king's signal, he sat cross-legged opposite.
"Dear King, the advance army is about to set off. I need more longbow warriors for the naval campaign."
Avitt nodded slightly.
"Xulot, longbow warriors need the foundation of bows and arrows. The warriors in the entire lake area have been selected, and only more than 5,000 are qualified. All have been recruited. I will give you 2,000 longbow warriors, each equipped with two bows. These elites,
You need to cherish it when you use it!”
Shulot bowed to the ground and saluted.
"Do your will."
Avitt thought for a moment and gave the order slowly again.
"I will give the Northern Route Army an 8,000-man regiment. In addition to the 2,000 longbows, according to your proposal, 3,000 royal warriors will be handed over to Barda and will immediately join the advance army. The remaining 3,000 warriors will be completed in October at the latest
Mobilize, commanded by the glorious noble Tepopolo, to join the main force of the Northern Route Army. The Northern Route Army is under your control, and the remaining troops need to be negotiated and mobilized by you and the city-states in the North."
Shulot nodded respectfully, this was as it should be. The alliance center issued a call for war, and each city-state decided on its own the scale of response, and could not directly recruit people.
Then, the boy recalled the terrain on both sides of the Leman River and made a request.
"Dear King, I need a group of elite noble warriors. The Jaguar Warriors can serve as elite sentinels of the army and assist in liaison with various departments. The Eagle Warriors will serve as the solid backbone of the battle formation and unify the warriors of all departments."
Avitt thought about it for a long time before speaking.
"I will give you another five hundred Jaguar Chapter. When the army is dispatched, you cannot lack eyes and ears. But the backbone Eagle Chapter cannot be given to you. They must serve as the core of the legion and gather the 100,000 troops on the southern route. For these alliances
Military noble, you must be extremely careful and avoid excessive casualties!"
Shulot understood the influence of these warrior nobles and believed in the combat effectiveness of these elite battle groups. He nodded respectfully and obeyed.
In the Aztec culture, the eagle is a symbol of the sun, and the eagle warriors are the guards of the sun god. They are selected from the real aristocracy. They will only be used at the most critical times, and their status is equivalent to the Yulin Army of the Celestial Dynasty.
The formation is strictly defensive and should not be easily damaged. The Jaguar warriors are the guards of the rain god. The battle group is open to the warriors at the bottom, so they can use it more and consume more.
Avitt stared at the young man in front of him and ordered in a solemn voice.
"Xulot, my student, the army directly under the royal family is about to be dispatched. The alliance is advancing in two directions. The north and the south are simultaneously threatening the Tarascans and forcing them to mobilize during spring plowing. I will hand over the northern route army to you.
You have high expectations, don't let me down!"
Hearing this, Shulot paid homage and promised loudly. He took the cold cocoa from the maid and drank it all in one gulp, letting the bitter, sweet and spicy taste reverberate in his mouth, and let the bright red cocoa drip from the corner of his mouth. Then, he bowed deeply.
, said goodbye and left.
The remaining days of April were spent preparing the army for war and gathering food and supplies. Thulot set up a large camp on the west side of the capital, at the source of the Leman River. A battalion of one thousand guardsmen, carrying longbows on their backs, moved in first. Then came a group of guards.
Thousand temple guards, hundreds of priests. Finally, there are two thousand longbow warriors, three thousand stick and shield warriors directly under the royal family, and a five hundred jaguar noble battle group.
In the middle of reorganizing the army, Shulot went to the Divine Enlightenment Station again, took out two hundred Kou Zhang crossbows, and delivered them to the trusted temple guards. Kou Zhang crossbows require lower archery skills, but they also require a certain foundation. Then
, he did not leave in person, but sent people to Tianhuo Island to fetch tens of thousands of rockets and hundreds of caltrops that were rushed to be made, which were enough for a big war.
With the arrival of a new batch of craftsmen and warriors, Tianhuo Island has turned into a large arsenal, and the craftsmen are busy day and night. Of course, the production of gunpowder weapons takes time, and the raw materials for gunpowder also need to be accumulated. This batch of weapons is already in stock.
all.
As April comes to an end, the air becomes increasingly humid. When the first clouds from the east come from the sky, bringing water vapor from the vast sea, the rainy season is right around the corner.
Shulot walked out of the camp with his guards, and finally inspected the nearby villages, looking at the vibrant vitality and new changes.
The arrival of the rainy season is always accompanied by busy spring plowing. On the land of the Alliance, tens of thousands of farmers begin hard work. They burn the dense forests and field weeds, use stone tools to dig in the soil, and sow seeds.
Planting corn seeds protects the hope of a year's harvest.
The village priests of the alliance built a shrine. They no longer used the emblems and rituals of the Corn God, and uniformly replaced them with the hummingbird and the sun, which symbolized the main god.
"The Lord God controls the sun and illuminates the earth. He ate Quetzalcoatl, the god of corn, and has been in charge of the world's harvest ever since!"
Facing the frightened farmers in the villages, the priests in the capital explained this. They set up a sacred fire, sacrificed several kinds of grains, and prayed for the coming and blessing of the Lord God. Everything was the same as in previous years, except that the gods were changed and the almighty Supreme was created.
The farmers were still terrified. They would beg the priests in low voices, worship the God of Corn in private, and even make requests to Shulot, who was wearing priestly clothes. The young priest shook his head and refused, looking at the worried farmers calmly.
"This is an era where myths are spread. Only when the new year's harvest proceeds normally will the stubborn farmers begin to accept the main god. Only several years of continuous good harvests can the farmers be completely convinced. And once the most traditional farmers
Only after accepting the Lord God can the new monotheistic faith truly take root in this fertile land."
Facing the vast fields, Shulot thought this. Then, he looked at the eastern sky. The dark clouds, carrying thunder and rain, were gradually pressing toward the west. Feeling the moist east wind, the young man nodded slowly.
Two days later, a continuous fleet of ships arrived. Three hundred large boats and thousands of small boats, fully loaded with food for the Northern Route Army, docked at the riverside camp. Shulot, with seven thousand elite warriors, boarded the
The mighty fleet officially announced the Western Expedition!
Thousands of miles of Leman River went all the way west, and the turbulent river water carried a powerful fleet. The Mexica army headed west, carrying the determination of the warriors to conquer, the glory of the priests and gods, and the desire of the king to be independent.
Towards the land of the Tarascans.
A few days later, Shulot met with representatives of the local nobles in the western city-state. Everyone had a feast and got drunk together at the banquet. Later, he gathered in private with the nobles who had already agreed to talk about his friendship with his grandfather and the future.
In exchange for the support of the city-states, three thousand city-state warriors once again joined the vanguard of the Western Expedition.
The army set off again, and the western expedition fleet crossed the border of the western city-state. On the most gorgeous boat, Shulot looked at both sides of the river. The river surged away, and the scenery came slowly. His eyes looked at the north bank of Austria.
The Tomi people saw the mountains and wilderness along the river, and saw the vague hills and villages of the Tarasco people on the south bank. Finally, two weeks later, they saw the starting point again.
On the banks of the Leman River, the sturdy wooden forts still stand, and the old battlefields are covered with green grass.
